Blood-X
by Yuki Kazumi
Summary: Saya Himawari lived a peaceful, uneventful life. However, after being attacked by a monster, her once peaceful life begins to melt away, and a side of the world she thought she knew begins to unravel.
1. Chapter 1

Blood-X

Opening Song: "Run Away" by Alexandros

Episode 1: Anxiety

"Damn...another one, huh? That's the third one this week..."

"Just wish we had a lead on the fucker that keeps doing this..."

A local shop was being closed down after the brutal murder of its owner. However, this murder was not like an ordinary killing.

"It's as if the owner was ripped to shreds by a wild beast..."

"Ah, don't talk nonsense! It was a murder, plain and simple. Now do your damn job already, rookie!"

"Y-yes sir..."

1 hour later

"Saya-chan! Wait up!"

"H-huh?"

A young girl, around age 16, turned to see another running up to her. The girl, named Saya Himawari, was around 5'4", her long, brown hair ran down past her shoulder blades. A pair of sky blue eyes stared out through frameless glasses. The girl running up to her was her best friend, Ayame Kuramoto, who was followed by another friend, Kanna Ogura.

"You know better than to go to school without your friends! It's considered bad luck!"

Kanna smacked Ayame on the head.

"Ow! What was that for!?"

"Don't go filling poor Saya's head with false superstitions...honestly..."

"Hmph! Kanna-chan, you're mean!" She playfully stuck out her tongue at the taller, black haired girl.

"My my...you two are lively today! But there's no need to worry, Aya-chan. I had a big breakfast before I left, so surely only good things can happen to me, right?"

Kanna sighed. "Seriously? You two actually believe all that nonsense?" She started walking ahead. "Come on. If we don't hurry, we'll be late."

"I'll race ya, Saya-chan!" And with that, the fluffy haired girl took off.

"Ah! Ayame-san! Wait up!" Saya ran after her, leaving Kanna by herself.

"Those two seriously act like kids..."

With a sigh, she continued down the street.

Later that day...

"Ah, there you are, Saya-san."

A young boy called out behind a waiting Saya. Upon turning around, she was met by her fellow classmate, Katsuhiko Ushioda.

"A-ah! K-Katsuhiko-san..." A light blush dusted her otherwise plain cheeks. She'd had a crush on him since she started going to Ketsueki High. His short, brown hair perfectly complimented his emerald eyes and gentle smile, of which she fell for every time.

"Is there something you need?" She asked.

"Just wanted to tell you to be careful heading home. You've heard about the murders on the news, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"Saya-chaaaaan!"

Katsuhiko turned and smiled. "Ah, your friends are coming. See you tomorrow." And with that, he left as Ayame and Kanna caught up to her.

"What did Katsu-kun want, huh?" Ayame asked, curious.

"O-oh, he was just telling me to be safe heading home." She smiled, adjusting her glasses with a smile.

Kanna sighed. "Wish we could go somewhere to hang out for a while, but we were told to go straight home after school today."

An annoyed Ayame sighed loudly. "I wanna go to Mangetsu Cafe..."

"Sorry, Ayame-san...maybe later this week? My treat." said Saya.

"DEAL!"

Kanna giggled at how easy it was to turn Ayame's mood around. "Come on. We can at least walk home together."

Saya and Ayame nodded and the trio left.

After walking a ways down the path, Ayame stretched, a light breeze blowing through. "Mmm...ahhhh! It's such a nice day! Ah, Saya-chan! That reminds me!" She reached into her bag and pulled out three small boxes. "They're full of chocolates I bought at the store the other day! The cashier told me if I eat them with the people I care about the most, then we'll never be separated!"

Kanna sighed. "Another superstition...but, it's one I can get behind."

She handed both Saya and Kanna a box, and all three started eating.

Saya sighed happily, placing her hand on her cheek. "Mmm! These are delicious! Thank you, Ayame-san."

"Hehe! Anything for you two! Ah, there's my street." She quickly finished her box and waved as she walked down the street.

"That Ayame...if she put as much time into her schoolwork as she does looking up superstitions and such..."

Saya giggled as the pair continued walking. "I'm glad I have you guys as friends..."

It would be a while before Kanna spoke again.

"Hey...Saya..."

"Yeah?"

"The recent murders...what's your take on them?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Saya asked, tilting her head.

"Well...some people are coming up with theories on who...or what...is causing them. Some are saying the people being targeted were killed by mafia...others say it was drug addicts..."

"O-oh...I never really thought about it..." She looked up at the sky. "What about you? Do you have a theory?"

"Well...it's more a rumor..."

"Oh?" Saya looked at her.

"I've heard that it was demons."

Saya stopped. "D-demons? I thought you didn't believe in that kind of stuff?"

"I don't believe in things that can't be proven." Kanna stopped and turned to look at Saya as another light breeze kicked up.

"B-but...wasn't one of the murders at a shrine?" Saya asked.

"Yeah, it was, which is the only thing that makes the rumor a bit hard to believe...but, it's just a rumor after all." She shrugged and turned. "Come on. It's getting late."

"Ah, right."

Just as she was about to continue...a strange butterfly gently fluttered past her face. It was white, with what looked like a blood splatter design on one wing. As she watched it, she could hear footsteps approaching from behind. As she whipped around to look, the butterfly vanished.

Kanna turned to see Saya standing there. "Saya-san?"

Wth a gasp, she snapped back to reality. They were alone. And the butterfly was gone. She turned and caught up with Kanna.

"You alright? You were spacing out." She asked, concerned.

"I-I'm fine. I just...well...there was a strange looking butterfly...and then...I...I thought I heard footsteps..."

Kanna gently hit her head. "You're probably just tired or something."

"Y-yeah...I guess so..."

With another smile, Saya walked off with Kanna.

[Intermission]

Saya, having finished her homework and chores, plopped onto her bed with a sigh. She pulled out her phone and decided to check the news to see if there were any updates.

Nothing.

"Hmm..." She dropped her arm back onto the bed.

She thought back to earlier, when she and Kanna were walking home.

"I've heard that it was demons."

"Kanna-san sounded so confident with her response..."

And then she remembered the butterfly...

"And what was with that butterfly?"

"Saya! Could you go to the store and get a few things?" her mother called out.

"Ah, sure thing!" With a smile, she got up and went downstairs. Putting on her shoes and a jacket, she left.

"I'll be back!"

And with that, she ran down the street to the nearest store.

Unaware that she was being followed...

Saya arrived at the store and started walking up and down the aisles, collecting the things her mother had asked for. Once she had everything, she paid at the cashier and left.

What was following her earlier was getting closer.

And so was someone else.

"Hmm hmm hmmm..." Saya started humming, leaving the safety of the brightly lit area.

As she walked further down the path...there was a loud growl behind her.

Saya paused, having heard the growl. She grew nervous immediately. Worried about what was behind her, she slowly turned around.

As she did, her eyes widened and her mouth opened as she came face to face with a beast of some sort. It stood around 10 feet tall, with 4 large, almost muscular legs, a tail with a dangerous looking bladed tip that whipped around violently behind it. It's eyes were glowing red, and its mouth was dripping with...blood...

With a gasp, she shakily took a step back, accidentally dropping the groceries. The beast lowered its head, still growling, its eyes fixated on her.

And then, with a sickening roar, it pointed its tail at Saya, and swiftly attempted to strike her with it. Abandoning the groceries, she took off running, screaming as the tail dug into the ground. The beast pulled back and gave chase, swiftly catching up to her. It jumped out at her and, with one "paw", pinned her to the ground.

Saya, pinned underneath the beast, desperately struggled to get free, screaming and crying for help. In a last ditch effort, she grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it into its face. With another roar, it shook its head and lifted up enough for her to squirm out. However, her body was banged up from the tackle, so she couldn't get very far.

Once the beast regained its composure, it once more attempted to impale her with its tail. Saya fell to the ground and turned to see it approaching.

Just before it could strike her however...

"Hyyyyyaaaaahhhhh!"

A young girl with a sword swiftly came and cut the tail off, blood spraying out from the new wound and coating both the girl and Saya in blood.

The beast roared in pain and swiped at the girl, knocking her aside and hitting a stone wall, knocking her unconscious with a sickening thud, the sword dropping next to Saya.

The beast focused its attention towards her again. Saya, terrified, grabbed the sword...

And felt...something...

It was as if time had stopped.

And then...there was a voice.

"Ah, you've awakened at last."

"H-huh? Wh-what's going on? Ah! G-gyaaahhhhh!"

Saya suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head. Like something was trying to tear her in half. With a loud yell, she clutched her head...

And, at least for Saya, everything went black.

Saya panted, clutching the katana tightly in her right hand. The beast, not wasting anymore time, lunged at her.

Saya took a deep breath...and opened her eyes.

Her once sky blue eyes were now a glowing blood red, with slit irises. As the beast closed in, Saya gripped the sword in two hands, and in a swift, beautiful movement, sliced its leg clean off, the beast roaring in pain as it collapsed to the ground, struggling to get back to its feet. Before it could react, Saya stabbed the blade into its side, blood spraying out over Saya and pouring out onto the ground. With one last push, she dug the blade deeper, down to the hilt, causing even more blood to spray out. The beast yelled out in pain one last time as it went lifeless.

The girl from earlier awoke, shocked to not only see Saya alive, but the beast slain.

Saya pulled out the katana and stepped back, swinging the blade at the ground with all her might, cleaning the blade as the blood that was on it splattered onto the ground.

"S-Saya? I-is that...you?"

Upon hearing her name, Saya gasped, her eyes reverting back to their normal blue. For her, her consciousness returned, as she stared at the now slain beast.

She turned to look at the girl.

And her eyes widened once more.

"K-Kanna?"

{TO BE CONTINUED}

Ending Theme: "New World" by Hello Sleepwalkers

PREVIEW

As Kanna explains what's really going on, Saya's once peaceful life begins to melt away. But when another monstrosity attacks, Saya must make a difficult choice: watch Kanna die, or fight it off alone.

Next time, on Blood-X

Episode 2: Backwards 


	2. Chapter 2

Blood-X

Opening Song: "Run Away" by Alexandros

Episode 2: Backwards

"K-Kanna?"

Saya stood there, staring at her friend.

"Wh-what's...going on? What was...that...thing?"

And then, exhaustion suddenly overtook the bespectacled girl. Kanna quickly got up and caught her before Saya could hit the ground.

"Tch...not good...gotta get back...home..."

Collecting the katana, Kanna took her friend to her place.

A while later, after removing Saya's blood-stained clothes and laying her in bed, Kanna called Saya's mother.

"Hello Mrs. Himawari-san...it's me, Kanna..."

"Ogura-san? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah...there was an incident on my way home...don't worry, Saya is safe..."

"Ah, thank goodness...I'm sorry, but...would you be okay with having Saya stay the night? It's getting late, and with all the recent reports and such..."

Kanna smiled. "It's no problem at all."

"Oh, thank you, Ogura-san...I'll be expecting her tomorrow after school. Stay safe, and goodnight."

"Alright. Goodnight."

And with that, she hung up, just in time for Saya's eyes to flutter open.

"H-huh?"

Hearing her wake, Kanna turned to face her. "Ah, you're up. Your mom said it was okay to stay here tonight."

"Kanna..." She put her glasses back on.

"What...what's going on?"

Kanna sighs.

"Dinner's almost ready. I'll tell you then. Your clothes are in the wash by the way..."

She looked at her attire.

Clothes that didn't really fit Kanna anymore...but were still a perfect fit for Saya.

With a sigh, she got up.

"This is only the beginning."

Saya paused, looking around the empty room. That voice she heard...

It couldn't have been Kanna...

And yet...it sounded strangely...familiar...

With another sigh and a shake of her head, she left the room, heading to where Kanna was.

"Full?"

Saya sighed, setting the bowl down.

"Yeah...thank you."

Kanna cleared her throat. "You have questions. One at a time, please."

"First thing's first...what was that...thing?"

Kanna sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"That...was an Incognita...translates to the Unknown...an accurate name, as very little is actually known about 'em...to my knowledge, they feast on weak willed humans...where they came from, and why they do what they do...nobody knows..."

"Why were you fighting it?"

"I'm..."

"No more secrets." She said with an assertive tone.

Kanna was caught off guard. Saya was only like that when she was serious...

With another sigh, she bent forward.

"I'm with...a group of people...who hunt them...or rather...try..."

She looks at the katana.

"That sword...is the only thing that seems to work against them."

Saya looked as well, immediately getting a flashback to earlier...

It was...unsettling to say the least...

"Saya...I...I want you to promise me something..."

"If you're gonna tell me to stay out of this, it's too late."

"No no...I know it is..."

She took a deep breath.

"Please...don't tell Ayame..."

That...was not what she expected to hear...

But, Saya could understand why. Ayame may be strong of heart...but if it meant fighting these monsters...The Incognita...

Best she be kept in the dark.

"I promise."

Saya was quiet for a second...before asking another question.

"You mentioned you're part of a group that battles these...Incognita...who else is in it?"

Kanna leaned back again.

"I promise to introduce you to them. But not tonight. It's getting late and we have school tomorrow."

Saya's expression, which was mostly that of concern throughout the explainations, finally softened.

"Alright..."

The next day

"Saya-chaaan! Kanna-chaaan!"

Saya and Kanna stopped and turned to see their friend Ayame catching up to them.

"Huh? How did you guys meet up without me?"

"Saya stayed at my place last night."

"Eh!?"

"Saw her getting harassed by some thugs. Thought it better to have her stay with me rather than try to go home."

"Lucky! I never get to stay at your place!"

"That's cause you almost burned it down last time you did."

"I told you it was an accident!"

Saya giggled, listening to her friends bicker.

*RING*

And suddenly...something caught her attention...a noise only she apparently heard...

She turned around to look. But, apart from the blowing wind, there was nothing there...

"Saya, you okay?"

Kanna's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Ah, yeah...I-I'm fine."

"Come on. We'll be late if we don't hurry."

"I'll race ya!" Ayame said as she took off.

Kanna sighed and chased after her.

Saya turned and looked once more before following her friends.

[Intermission]

Saya left school late, being chosen for sweeping duty. Pulling the face mask off as she finished, she put the broom away and walked outside, the sun beginning to set.

"Mom is expecting me...gotta head home..."

With a sigh, Saya walked alone down the path, humming to herself.

"I swear...if it weren't for Ogura-san..."

Her mom smothered her poor daughter, glad she was okay.

"Mooooom..."

"You need to be more careful, sweetie...things have been getting pretty dangerous recently..."

"I know, I know..."

With a sigh of relief, she let her daughter go.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Go get washed up."

Saya nodded and went upstairs.

Later that night, Saya was on her phone, hoping to find more information on the Incognita.

No luck.

"Guess Kanna was right..."

*RING*

"Huh?" Saya heard the noise again. Getting up, she opened the window and looked around.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

*Vrr Vrr DING*

She got a message.

Walking back over to her bed, she checked...

[Help me!]

It was from Kanna.

Quickly putting on anything she could grab, she quietly climbed out the window and left for Kanna's house.

Upon arrival, Kanna was being held down by a grotesque spider-like Incognita. It stood on 8 legs, but had 8 more on top of its body, along with a strange scorpion tail-like appendage. Careful not to grab its attention, Saya slipped into the house and grabbed the sword.

As soon as she did...

"You must remember..."

A searing pain, ran through her head, just like last night...

She stumbled, losing her footing temporarily as she held her head.

Kanna's cry for help brought her back to her senses as she quickly ran outside. The Incognita, feeling another presence, quickly discoarded the weakened Kanna and turned to see a terrified Saya.

Saya was in a panic as the Incognita lifted its tail and attempted to strike her. She just barely managed to deflect it in time, but didn't see the leg coming to strike her. It slammed into her side, flinging her into a wall with a loud thud. The force from the blow made her cough up blood as she dropped to the floor. Saya didn't get any time to rest as another leg picked her up and slammed her to the ground, hitting her head on the floor.

For a second...everything went black, then, when her vision returned, fuzzy. She looked as the Incognita went after Kanna once more, watching helplessly as her friend was once more in danger.

"You must wake up, Saya..."

She tried to move, but no matter how hard she tried, her body wouldn't respond.

The Incognita towered over Kanna, pinning her down with its legs.

"K-Kanna..."

"Wake up, Saya..."

It raised its tail, ready to finish her off.

*RING*

The butterfly from yesterday gently fluttered into Saya's view, resting on the handle of the sword. Saya weakly reached out for it as the Incognita attacked, just narrowly missing. It raised its tail once more and used another leg to keep Kanna still.

"Wake up, Saya..."

As the butterfly fluttered away, Saya felt a burst of strength as her eyes once more changed. Grabbing the sword, she quickly got to her feet and charged at the Incognita, cutting off 2 legs. The monster screeched in pain and tossed Kanna aside as it tried to lash out at Saya, which only resulted in another leg being lost. As blood sprayed and dripped from the lost limbs, it attempted to strike Saya again with its tail, but she avoided it and sliced the tail wide open, rendering it useless as it sprayed blood everywhere. Wih the last of its strength, the Incognita flipped over and attempted to escape, but Saya swiftly caught up and jumped off a nearby wall to get on top. Raising her blade, she brought it down with all her might into its head, not letting up even as blood drenched her body and dyed her clothes red. With one last cry, the Incognita finally collapsed and went limp. Saya pulled the blade out and got off, swinging it once more at the ground to clean it.

She walked over to Kanna, who was knocked out cold. She picked her friend up and took her inside. She placed her in bed, put away the sword, and left.

As she headed home, the same pain from before stopped her.

"This is only the beginning..."

Saya then passed out.

{TO BE CONTINUED}

Ending Theme: "New World" by Hello Sleepwalkers

PREVIEW

Saya's fight against the Incognita has only just begun, and yet they don't seem to be getting any easier, especially when another student is in danger. But just who is he, and why does he seem to hate Saya?

Next time, on Blood-X

Episode 3: Canvas 


	3. Chapter 3

Blood-X

Opening Song: "Run Away" by Alexandros

Episode 3: Canvas

Saya's alarm rang first thing in the morning, as always. With a groan, the sleepy girl opened her eyes and turned off the clock.

And then...she remembered what happened last night.

"H-huh? How did I...get home?"

"Saya! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up or you'll be late for school!"

"Ah...coming mom...huh?"

Saya, as she was getting up, noticed a note.

You're welcome.  
-Riku Tachibana

"Wh-who is...?"

With a sigh, she got dressed, pocketed the note, and went downstairs.

"Saya-chaaaaan!"

"H-huh?" As soon as she stepped outside, Saya heard Ayame call out to her.

"Ayame-san? What're you doing here?" Saya asked, puzzled.

"Kanna-san won't be coming to school...she said she wasn't feeling good..."

Saya once again remembered what happened last night...

*Please...don't tell Ayame...*

"Saya-chan? Are you okay?"

"H-huh? O-oh, y-yeah."

"I hope you're not getting sick too..."

"N-no no! I just had something on my mind. Come on. We should hurry."

And with that, the two girls left for school.

Unaware that a boy, wearing their school uniform, was watching Saya.

"...hmph. She recovered quickly..."

"Hmm?"

Saya woke from her nap. Taking a look around, it seemed the teacher was doing a study hall. Saya stretched before noticing a small piece of paper in her desk.

Pulling it out, it read...

Meet me on the roof at sunset.  
-Riku Tachibana

"Him again..." She looked around the room. Nobody in her class had that name...

"How did he...?"

Shaking her head, she put the note away and looked out the window.

A few clouds...a distant plane...nothing out of the ordinary...

*RING*

"Ah!" Saya was caught off guard by the school bell.

"I slept most of the day..." She said, yawning until her belly grumbled.

Since she hadn't eaten yet...

She pulled out what was supposed to be her lunch along with her phone.

[Hey Mom. I'm gonna be late coming home tonight.]

*Vrr Vrr DING*

[Alright honey. Be safe coming home.]

With a deep breath, she opened her Bento and smiled.

"Thanks for the meal!"

Packing her things, Saya looked up at the orange sky. Apart from a few after school clubs, most students were gone.

"Ah, right!"

She pulled out the note again and left for the roof.

Upon opening the door, she saw a boy around her age, his uniform worn loosely and a hand in his pocket. His hair was spiky and brown, like the kind one would see in a Shounen manga.

Upon hearing the door open and close, he turned to face Saya, his emerald green eyes locked onto her sky blue irises.

A light breeze kicked up, and a sudden tension filled the air.

[Intermission]

"Are you...Riku?" Saya asked, curious.

"Only if you're Saya."

She nodded.

Riku sighed. It seemed he wanted to get this over with.

"How much do you know about them?"

"Them?"

"The Incognita."

A chill went down her spine.

'He knows about them too?' She thought to herself.

"I-I only know what Kanna-san told me."

"I see...what did she tell you?"

"She told me...what they do...and that...she's in a group-"

"A group? She told you about us?"

"H-huh? Y-you're part of the same group?"

Riku sighed again and glared at her.

"If you value your life...stay out of it."

Saya froze, paralyzed with fear.

Riku walked past her, another breeze gently blowing through as Saya was left alone.

Saya walked home alone, the sun having gone down a while ago. Ever since that first encounter with the Incognita, she'd grown nervous being out at night.

And more often than not, she didn't have a way to protect herself.

At the crossroads that led to Ayame's house, Saya paused.

"Ayame..."

With a sigh, she continued onward...

Until...

"Watch out!"

Saya turned and saw...

"R-Riku!"

And then she saw it...chasing after him...

An Incognita...this one almost centipede like in appearance, but with horn like appendages on its back and 2 large Mantis like claws.

Saya ran alongside him, terrified.

At the next crossroads, Riku turned towards Kanna's house, Saya following after him, and behind her the Incognita.

Kanna came out, the sword in hand. She had been expecting Riku and the Incognita...

But seeing Saya worried her.

"Dammit..."

As Riku and Saya approached, the Incognita behind them dug underground.

"Stay on your guard, you two...there's no telling where it could pop up..."

The three of them looked around, backs to each other.

And yet...

"...ah! Look ou-"

Before Saya could finish, the Incognita burst from right below them, scattering the trio of bodies, Kanna loosing her grip of the sword. Saya landed on her feet, but Kanna and Riku both landed hard on the ground.

With a screech, the Incognita took one of its claws and stabbed Riku in the stomach.

"R-Riku!" Kanna ran for the sword, but was immediately swiped away by the monster.

"Kanna!"

*RING*

'N-no...not...now...'

That familiar ring, followed by a pain in her head...

And, as far as Saya was concerned, it always came at a terrible time...

What Saya knew was that when she hears that ring...she passes out...

What Kanna and Riku saw...

Saya fainted, but was still standing, almost as if she were being held up by puppet strings, her hair covering her face.

And then...

"Leave...them...alone..."

Her voice was...deeper...more mature...

Unfamiliar...

The Incognita pulled its claw out of Riku and turned to Saya.

As it did...

Saya stood up, glaring at the monster...

Her eyes...no longer blue...but a sickening, glowing blood red with slit irises...

To Kanna and Riku...it was like staring at a completely different person...

The monster screeched again before charging at Saya, who charged at it. It swiped its claw at Saya, who evaded and jumped off the appendage. As she came down, she slammed the back of her foot into the Incognita's head. With it staggered, she grabbed a horn and pulled, hoping to rip it off. The monster instead tried to burrow underground. Saya flipped off the Incognita and landed on her feet, heading straight for the sword. As if sensing what she was after, the monster tried to attack from below.

"Dammit..."

She jumped away and used the momentum of her landing to charge right into the monster. With it once more staggered, she swung around and once again grabbed a horn, pulling against it until it was ripped from its body with a sickening ripping sound. The monster screeched in pain, but would go no further as Saya spun the horn around and rammed it into the Incognita's body, blood spraying all over her. Saya didn't stop however, instead preferring to push the horn further until it finally pierced clean through. With one dying screech, the monster collapsed, a bloodied Saya standing on top.

As she straightened her stance, she turned to Kanna and Riku.

An unknown chill running down both their spines.

Was THIS...the Saya Himawari they knew?

{TO BE CONTINUED}

Ending Theme: "New World" by Hello Sleepwalkers

PREVIEW

Having seen what Saya is capable of, Riku and Kanna introduce her to the rest of their group, Xist. However, things grow complicated when Saya is attacked on the way home. And this time, not by an Incognita, but rather, someone who knows who she is.

Next time, on Blood-X

Episode 4: Delay 


	4. Chapter 4

Blood-X

Opening Song: "Run Away" by Alexandros

Episode 4: Delay

Kanna couldn't look away. No matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn't tear her gaze from the person standing before her.

Holding the injured Riku, she shook with fear.

As far as she knew...one beast was slain...

Only to be replaced with one MUCH deadlier...

Saya, sensing her fear, jumped off the dead Incognita's body and landed gently on the ground, walking over to them.

"S-S-Saya...ch-chan..."

She stopped in front of them.

"Are you...okay?"

Saya's voice sounded...deeper...more mature...

And yet...

It felt familiar...

"I-is that...y-you...?"

Saya closed her eyes.

"Ogura-san! Tachibana-san!"

A tall, very muscular shirtless man was fast approaching, along with a young-looking girl. The man looked to be pretty old, maybe in his 50s. At least, that's what Saya assumed from his beard. He wore nothing but a pair of pants and some shoes. The girl wore a white dress and had blonde hair reaching down to her shoulder blades. If you saw her, you'd almost mistake her for an angel.

Saya watched as they approached.

"Who are you!? What did you do to them!?" The man yelled as the girl knelt next to Kanna and Riku.

"Dansei, he's injured..."

"Ari-chan..."

The one named Dansei cracked his knuckles, ready to fight.

"Stand down, old man...she ain't the enemy."

He turned around to see a woman approaching, her hands in her pockets. She wore a pair of glasses with no lenses, a shirt that said "Senpai (Doesn't Notice)", purple skinny jeans, and matching sneakers. She also wore faded purple lipstick.

She walked past him and walked up to Saya with a smirk.

"Besides...if you tried to fight her, you'd just end up dead...like the Incognita behind her."

"S-Sen? Even you came?"

The woman named Sen turned to Kanna, looking at her through lensless glasses.

"Considering Riku's injuries, we need to get him to Yuna...Gramps, you carry him. Kanna, can you stand?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Good." She turned back to Saya. "What's your name?"

"Saya. Saya Himawari."

"Carry Kanna and follow us."

"What about the dead body?"

Sen grinned and turned away.

"Don't worry about it."

Dansei picked up Riku, and Saya picked up Kanna.

"Sen...do you think it's a good idea to bring her?" Ari asked.

"You worry too much, Ari."

Saya suddenly came to.

"S-Saya-san?"

She looked at Kanna, her eyes having returned to their natural blue.

"K-Kanna-san...what's...going on?"

She sighed.

"Everything will be explained when we get to Yuna's Shop."

Ari picked up the katana and followed them.

Later, they all arrived at a store. Sen held open the door for Saya, Ari, and Dansei...

Until a book came flying from out of nowhere, hitting Riku in the forehead.

"Hmm?"

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO RIKU!?"

Saya saw a young girl, around her age. She had bright pink twin tails and green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a red shirt with a broken heart on it, blue jeans with holes in them, and a pair of school shoes.

"Yuna, calm dow-"

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!"

She then noticed Saya.

"Who's the blood-stained girl?" She asked.

Sen grinned.

"If all goes well, she's our newest member."

Yuna paused. "H-her?"

"Yep."

"What's your name?"

"H-huh? Oh...I'm Saya Himawari..."

Yuna paused again.

"Saya...hmm...I've heard that name before somewhere...eh, I'm sure it's nothing. Welcome to Xist, Saya-san." Yuna's demeanor drastically changed, as if she were a different person altogether.

"O-oh...thank you."

Yuna looked at Riku and scowled again. "As for them, take them to the back. I'll have Aru take care of their injuries."

"Yuna-chan...what's with all the noise?" And from the back room came a sleepy-looking girl.

She had long, lavender hair and eyes, and wore an oversized light gray sweater.

Upon seeing Saya, the girl known as Aru widened her eyes before regaining her composure.

"Who's injured?"

"Just Riku and Kanna."

"Bring them back here." And with that, she walked back into the room as Dansei took Riku and Kanna.

Sen smiled.

"Lively as always..." She noticed Saya was still covered in blood. "Hey, if you need to wash up, there's a shower upstairs."

"O-oh. Thank you."

"Once you're all clean, I'll walk ya home, k?"

Saya nodded and went upstairs.

On the way back, Sen was carrying the sword.

"Here. I don't think Kanna would mind."

"Y-you're giving it to me?"

"You're the only one other than Kanna that can wield it."

Saya took it and nodded.

As they arrived near Kanna's house...Saya noticed...

"W-wait a minute..."

"You're wondering where the body went, right? Heh...even we don't know where they go. Incognita dies. The body suddenly disappears. We're not sure if it just vanishes after death, or if someone or something gets rid of it. It's not our problem..."

They continued until they reached Saya's house.

"You don't live far from Kanna. That's good."

Saya nodded.

"Welp. I'll leave the rest to you. Night, Saya!" And with that, Sen left.

"Night."

Saya went straight to her room and hid the sword in her closet, then collapsed onto her bed as she passed out.

[Intermission]

Due to her injuries, Kanna was out again. However, Ayame wasn't here either.

"I'm sorry, Himawari-san...Kuramoto-san is sick..."

"Ah, I see. Thank you, sensei."

With nobody to hang out with, Saya decided to head to the roof to enjoy her lunch.

Upon arriving, she noticed 2 students. A female first-year and male third year. The first year had medium length black hair, and as she turned to look at Saya, her eyes were a dark blue. The boy had short brown hair and orange eyes.

Apart from the uniforms...they seemed out of place...as if...

No, that's ridiculous...

Paying them no mind, Saya walked to her little corner of the rooftop. It was this spot that seemed to get the most sunlight and was the only part of the rooftop that had fencing.

As she ate, she looked up at the sky, a few fluffy clouds gently floating about.

"Maru-kun! Yuko-san!"

Saya looked to see a girl with pink twintails walk towards the other two.

"Sayuki? What're you doing here?"

"Jessica-san wanted to see you."

The one named Yuko, who now seemed irritated, grumpily packed her things and the trio left.

Saya sighed, looking back up at the sky as she thought about the events of the past few days.

The Incognita...Xist...

Before she knew it, the bell rang to return to class.

She packed her things and smiled.

"Right. I just have to try harder from now on!"

Later, after school, she got messages from Ayame and Kanna.

[Hey Saya-chan! I'm feeling better now. See you tomorrow!]

Saya smiled. She could feel Ayame's endless happiness in her message.

[Hey Saya. Just letting you know that me and Riku are alright. I should be alright to come back tomorrow.]

She thought back to last night.

The injuries Kanna and Riku sustained...

It was enough to wipe away her smile.

Taking a deep breath, she replied to both and went home.

The sun was starting to set early again, casting an orange glow on the path home.

Saya yawned. "I hope I don't have to fight again tonight..."

"Oh? And what if you do?"

Saya froze, a chill running down her spine. She turned around to see a woman standing behind her. She had long white hair and purple eyes. She wore an open lab coat over a white button-up and a red tie, and black jeans.

Something about her...wasn't sitting right with Saya.

"I've been looking forward to meeting you...Saya."

"Wh-who are you?"

The woman grinned.

"My name is Makoto Hitoshi. I'm only going to say it once, so remember it."

That name...didn't sound familiar...

"What...do you want with me?"

"For now...nothing...I just wanted to see who our enemy was."

Enemy?

"I must say though..."

She began to walk past Saya...but not before grabbing her and kneeing her hard in the stomach, dropping the schoolgirl to the ground, coughing and groaning in pain.

"...I'm rather disappointed that you're the one he's so scared of."

And with that, Makoto left Saya alone.

"Wh-who was...that?"

"YOU WHAT!?"

Saya pulled the phone away from her ear as Kanna yelled.

"Not so loud, Kanna-san..."

"Saya, Makoto is bad news. Putting aside the Incognita, she's one of the most dangerous enemies we face. You're lucky she didn't kill you where you stood..."

"I-is she really that dangerous?"

"Promise me one thing. The next time you see her, RUN. Don't even give it a second thought. Understand?"

Saya gulped.

"Alright. I promise."

Kanna sighed.

"And no more going home alone, even if it means leaving with a member of Xist."

"Got it."

"Gotta go. See you tomorrow."

"Alright."

Kanna hung up and sighed.

"Everything alright, Kanna?" Asked Sen.

"Saya...met Makoto..."

Sen seemed shocked.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah...seems she only hit her in the gut, then left her."

"Son of a...well, at least she's alright."

Sen put on a red trench coat.

"You're going hunting tonight?"

Sen smirked.

"Nope. Just a walk."

And with that, she left.

Kanna sighed. She knew what Sen meant by "a walk".

"Welp...nothing I can do about it now."

{TO BE CONTINUED}

Ending Theme: "New World" by Hello Sleepwalkers

PREVIEW

Saya, Kanna, and Ayame finally get the weekend to themselves and decide to finally go to Mangetsu Cafe. However, tensions rise when the police arrive and interrogate the trio, and things get worse when Saya loses control of herself.

Next time, on Blood-X

Episode 5: Elevation 


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